Dragon Effect
by Gamer-Otaku Takara
Summary: Medieval meets futuristic. Staffs meet guns. Magic meets biotics. ...Hawke meets Kolyat? A betrayal from the one she loves suddenly sends Artemis Hawke into another universe...or system...or whatever. Now, she's on the run from Cerberus, and she's depending on a certain hot-headed drell to help her out. Mage Fem!Hawke/Kolyat pairing.
1. Chapter 1

Dragon Effect

Chapter One

When Artemis Hawke woke up that morning, everything was just as it should be. Her mabari was snoozing at the foot of her bed, she was snuggled up under her soft covers, and there wasn't a Templar or blood mage in sight. A good night's rest was hard to come by these days, especially now that she was the Champion of Kirkwall. That title came with a LOT of responsibility, and it was almost too much for her lone shoulders to bear, especially after she lost every member of her family that she was ever close to, one way or another. All that was left was her uncle Gamlen…and he could hardly be considered family. At least she had this one moment to just relax, and enjoy her own company…

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

"Why am I always the one getting dragged into these things?" Artemis muttered. Aveline had come barging into her house once again, practically dragging the poor Champion out of her soft bed, yelling about the First Enchanter and the Knight-Commander in yet another argument. Things were bad this time, or so she was told, so she wasted no time in getting dressed and rounding up her team. The three people she kept close to her were Anders, Varric, and Fenris…though, she had a feeling that, even though everyone was technically coming along, bringing the mages' rights activist along would prove to be a bad idea. Artemis glanced at the blonde-haired man out of the corner of her eye. She loved him with everything that she was, but sweet Andraste was he impulsive! Honestly, she blamed Justice. The two of them never got along (especially with her occasionally use of blood magic), but he was making Anders miserable, and that only made her hate the spirit even more.

Anders glanced back at her. He didn't even give her a smile…he just a sad look before he turned away. He had been acting…empty lately. Frustrated. But no matter how much she begged, he refused to tell her why. "_I must bear this burden alone,_" he'd insisted. "_There's no way I'm letting you get caught up in this._" She gripped her staff tightly in her hand. What he didn't understand was that she _wanted_ to get caught up in it! He'd faced too many things on his own…she didn't care what he'd done, she wanted to be able to help him through it! …Their love was falling apart. She could see it, and it killed her, knowing that there was nothing she could do or say to make Anders himself again. She knew that nothing would change…and she didn't want to leave him, but somehow, she had a feeling that she would have to. She never regretted loving him, but being with him like this was tearing her apart inside.

Hawke sighed deeply. She couldn't think about that now. There were much more important things to worry about… Her companions faithfully trailed behind her as she made her way through the darkened Kirkwall streets, following the sound of yelling until she came upon the very scene she expected.

"I will have the tower searched, top to bottom!" Meredith snapped.

"You cannot do that! You have no right!" argued Orsino.

The Knight-Commander and First Enchanter faced each other, each with a small group behind them—mages with Orsino, and Templars with Meredith…including Carver, her younger brother. The two leaders stared each other down with eyes full of hatred. _Oh Maker, here we go again,_ Hawke thought wearily.

"I have every right!" Meredith huffed. "You are harboring blood mages, and I intend to root them out before they infect this city!"

"Blood magic!" Orsino threw his arms in the air. "Where do you not see blood magic?! My people cannot _sneeze_ without you accusing them of corruption!"

"Do not trifle with me, mage; my patience is at an end." Meredith's voice was low, her blue eyes flashing with the madness that everybody knew was within her.

"A wonder that I never saw it begin," Orsino retorted sarcastically. Artemis rolled her eyes and ran up to them.

"This needs to stop," she said, putting her staff away and glancing between the two of them with a frown.

Carver's arms were folded across his chest. Looking at her with that same disdainful scowl, he said, "Well, look who decided to show up." _Oh, not now, Carver!_ she thought.

Meredith turned to face her. "This does not involve you, Champion." The hell it didn't! She was involved in everything in this city, and not always by her choice! If the two of them would just admit their love for each other, they could ease some sexual frustration and everyone would be happy. But nooo, they've got to be bloody stubborn!

"I called her here," Orsino drawled, folding his arms across his chest. "I think the people deserve to know just what you've done."

"What I have _done_," Meredith hissed, "Is protect the people of this city, time and again. What I have _done_ is protect you mages from your curse and your own stupidity!" _Uh, hello? Mage, right here. Why does everybody seem to forget that I'm a mage too?_ "And I will not stop doing it, I will _not_ lower our guard, I dare not!"

Hawke glanced at Orsino.

"And what if she does not find what she's looking for? How much further will she go to root out something that isn't there?" The gray-haired elven man stared Hawke straight in the eye. His gaze bore into hers, almost pleadingly. _Stop her_, they said, _She's gone mad! _Artemis knew that all too well. Everyone could see how crazy the Templar leader was, how deeply she had spiraled into darkness over the years. But the woman was stubborn, blinded by her craziness. She honestly doubted that she could stop Meredith with mere words.

Meredith turned to Orsino. "The Champion knows better than anyone how deep the Circle's corruption goes. I must find the source!" _Ouch. _Hawke winced, feeling a pang in her chest. She knew exactly what the Knight-Commander was talking about, and it did not please her to have it brought up.

Artemis rubbed her temples, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over her. "There must be some way we can work this out," she insisted.

Meredith's eyebrows furrowed, her expression twisting into one of anguish. "What other option do we have? Tell me, Champion, that you have not seen with your own eyes what they can do! Heard the lies of mages that seek power!"

Hawke swallowed hard. It was true. She had seen many a corrupted mage in her time…not that she was any better. But that didn't change the fact that this was wrong. "Some of us want exactly what you want, Meredith. We're not the enemy." She resisted the urge to make a series of sarcastic comments…somehow, she felt that humor would not make this situation any easier.

Orsino stepped up beside her. "You would cast us all as villains, but it is not so!" he said, his expression a mix of anger, frustration, and despair.

A sad look fell over Meredith's face. "…I know," she said softly, "And it breaks my heart to do it." _I call bullshit._ "But we must be vigilant! If you cannot tell me another way, do not brand me a tyrant!"

"This is getting us nowhere," Orsino muttered. He turned around, beginning to walk up the Chantry steps. "Grand Cleric Elthina will put a stop to this."

Meredith grabbed Orsino by the shoulder, stopping him in his tracks and pulling his shoulder to the side. "You will _not_ bring Her Grace into this!" she growled.

Artemis opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when Anders walked up beside her. "The Grand Cleric cannot help you!" he said loudly. His voice sounded…strained, like he was fighting a battle within himself. And, knowing Justice, he probably was.

Meredith stormed up to Anders. "Explain yourself, mage!" she commanded.

He pointed at her accusingly. "I will not stand by and watch you treat all mages like criminals—" He slammed his staff on the ground, "—while those who would lead us bow to their Templar jailors!"

Orsino recoiled. "How dare you speak to—"

_**SLAM!**_

"The Circle has failed us, Orsino! Even you should be able to see that!" His eyes glowed blue for a brief moment, cracks of blue light appearing on his body before he turned around, squeezing his eyes shut, and they disappeared._ And this was going so well, too, _she thought sarcastically. "The time has come to act. There can be no half-measures."

A chill settled in Hawke's gut, and she felt her skin go pale. Something about the way he was talking didn't sit right with her…something was terribly wrong. "Anders," she said slowly, "What have you done?"

He refused to look at her, but she could clearly see the despair, and fear on his face. "There can be no turning back," he said softly.

Just as he said that, the ground below them started to rumble, shaking hard enough to nearly throw her off-balance. _This…cannot be good,_ she thought, her blood running cold. Suddenly, a large beam of red light burst from the middle of the Chantry, shooting up into the sky and sending parts of the building flying. A look of pure horror settled on Hawke's face as more and more beams shot out of the Chantry in different directions, lifting up bits of the church. In one loud _**BAM**_, the entire building exploded.

And red light was the last thing Artemis saw before her world turned black.

_**ELSEWHERE**_

"Sir, there's no way we can do this!"

Dr. Richards exhaled deeply out of frustration. This underling was getting on his last nerve. "You said that about the Lazarus Project as well, Tony, and look how that turned out."

"This is different." Tony frowned up at the tall, dark-haired Cerberus scientist. "How do you even know this relay will lead to another universe? Maybe it just leads to the middle of nowhere, or it could even lead to where the Reapers live!"

"That's a risk we'll have to take." Richards stared sternly down at Tony. The assistant was young, barely in his mid-twenties, but although he sometimes questioned Cerberus, the young man was an asset to this laboratory. He was a bright lad, very smart, which was why Richards couldn't understand why Tony was so against this.

Three weeks ago, a Cerberus patrol stumbled across a new, unmapped relay. It was on the far edge of the Artemis Tau cluster, and when the patrol reported back to HQ, the Illusive Man sent Dr. Richards and a large team of both scientists and soldiers to check it out. It resembled the Omega 4 relay, but the red light of the relay was swirled with purple. It was very mysterious, and to some of the team (like Tony), it was frightening. But if humans hadn't been willing to risk travelling through the relays, they never would have discovered the galaxy beyond.

"I'm sending a team through the relay, Tony, and there's nothing you can say to—"

Richards was interrupted when the floor suddenly started to shake.

"What the hell…"

"Sir!" Tony pointed at the observation window. "Look! The relay…it's powering up!"

Richards hurried over to the window. Pressing his face against the glass, his jaw dropped in amazement as he watched the strange relay get brighter and brighter, until a red beam of light shot straight through the Cerberus station. He heard the sound of an explosion, and alarms suddenly began blaring. "_Hull breach in Sector 12_," an automated voice cried overhead. "_All available units please investigate_."

"Sector 12?" Tony's frown deepened. "Isn't that the mess hall?"

"Come on, let's go see what that relay dropped off." Richards didn't even wait for Tony to respond. Making a beeline for the mess hall, an excited grin stretched across his face. He knew that relay held _something_ in store for them…

But what he found was not what he expected.

The mess hall was covered in scientists and soldiers, the soldiers working hastily to patch up the giant hole in the wall while some of the scientists were making their way towards the medical bay, hauling something along with them. Putting on their oxygen masks, Tony and Dr. Richards jogged up beside them. "What's the situation?" Richards demanded. "What did the relay bring us?"

"It's a…a person, sir," said one of the scientists. He blinked.

"A person…?"

It was indeed a person. A human woman, dressed in the strangest clothes he had ever seen. Covering her chest was a plate of dark grey metal, and fur covered her shoulders. Her stomach, under the metal, was covered in a jean-like material, which was what her pants were made out of, and she wore a belt with a small pack attached to it. Her right arm had a large piece of spiked metal on the upper part, while her hand and forearm were covered in a metal gauntlet of some sorts, with her elbow and every joint on her hand spiked. Her other arm was mostly uncovered, with the mail that was under the metal on her other arm cut off just below the shoulder on her left arm. Red markings were shown plainly on her arm, and she wore a black, fingerless glove over her left hand…which was tightly gripping a long staff of some sort. It was a purplish-red, with a large crescent shape at the top, and a smaller crescent seemed to be floating inside of the larger one. On the other end, was a long diamond shape, with the bottom tip sharpened to a very fine point…it would most definitely prove to be deadly if she chose to stab any of them with it. As for the woman's facial features…she had short, jet-black hair, with a lock lying on her fair-skinned face. There was a red mark of some sort brushed across her nose…it almost looked like blood. She had a strong, yet still feminine jaw, and full lips. It would be impossible to tell what her eye color was until she awoke…

The scientists gently laid the woman's body on one of the cots. "Who do you suppose she is…?" Tony asked softly, staring intently at their unexpected guest.

"I soon hope to find out," Richards replied. A secret smirk stretched across his face. _Oh, the Illusive Man will be _very_ pleased when he hears about this…_

**A/N: Hello there! This is the author speaking. I hope you liked the first chapter of my crossover! The idea has been circulating in my brain for awhile now. XD Please review! I'd love to hear your thoughts! **


	2. Chapter 2

_Oh, Andraste...why does it feel like Fenris is shoving his hand through my skull?_

That was Artemis's first thought when she regained consciousness. She struggled to think through the throbbing in her head. Her mouth was dry, and breathing felt...strange. Like the air wasn't...right, somehow. She knew for a fact that she hadn't gone to the Hanged Man, so she wasn't experiencing a hangover... Then, it all came rushing back to her. Meredith, Orsino, Anders...the Chantry... Her crystal blue eyes snapped open, and she attempted to sit up...only to find that she couldn't. Frowning, she glanced down. She gasped when she discovered that she was literally strapped to a chair, her armor stripped off, so she was dressed her thin brown undershirt and pants. Restraints were in place around her wrists, ankles, and abdomen. The chair was placed in a large, starch white room, with various box-shaped objects and other strange things with blinking lights cluttered around it. _What the hell is going on here?!_ "Hello?" she called. "Can anyone hear me? I'm kinda...stuck!" She winced. Her own loud voice was causing the pain in her head to increase. _This is not okay._

"Ah, you're finally awake."

Hawke's eyes flickered over to the door on the far side of the room. A man emerged from the doorway, gently shutting the door behind him. He was an older man, probably in his late 40s or early 50s, and he had dark hair that was starting to gray, a pale complexion, and piercing green eyes. He wore some kind of...white overcoat, with gloves and white pants as well. He didn't look like a Free Marcher at all...he didn't even look Fereldan. Could he be an Orlesian?

"What is your name, darling?" he inquired, speaking in the same accent she possessed. He started to slowly pace in front of her, hands clasped behind his back.

Artemis gave him a cheeky grin. "If all you want to do is get to know me, there are much easier ways to do so." She wiggled a bit. "For starters, you could undo these restraints...you had me thinking I was here to be tortured or something equally horrific."

The man didn't even smile. "I apologize, but the restraints must remain until we know more about you. Now please, tell me your name."

"But I'd rather know _your_ name," she said innocently, tilting her head up at him.

"Please don't try my patience, dear. It would be easier on both of us if you just answered my question."

Artemis sighed. "Oh, alright, spoilsport. My name is Artemis Hawke. Noble, wealthy, Champion of Kirkwall...any of this ringing a bell?"

The man frowned. "No...should it?"

"Well, yes, if you keep up with the gossip." Artemis half-smiled. "The former Lowtowner who made a fortune from venturing through the Deep Roads? The one who killed the Arishok, and stopped the Qunari from taking over Kirkwall? Yeah, that was me."

"I'm afraid I have no clue what you're talking about," the man said, raising a confused eyebrow.

Artemis puffed out her cheeks. This guy obviously didn't get out much. "Ser, I can't make it any clearer. I would like to know the name of my captor now, if that's perfectly alright with you."

"You may call me Dr. Richards," he replied, ceasing his pacing to stand in front of her.

"Oh. Well, I would say, 'It's a pleasure', but given the circumstances..." Artemis gestured to her position with her chin. "By the way, could you explain this situation to me? I am utterly confused as to how I even got here in the first place..." She stared up at him, raising an expectant eyebrow.

"I'm sure." Dr. Richards tilted his head slightly, looking down at her with that same, unwaveringly calm expression. "I have reason to believe that you come from an undiscovered galactic system...well, undiscovered by outside species, anyway. Recently, an unmapped mass relay appeared near the edge of the Artemis Tau cluster..."

"Wait, wait." Artemis interrupted him. "What the hell are you _talking_ about?" She looked up at him like he was crazy. Galactic system? Mass relay? Artemis Tau cluster? What kind of language was he _speaking_?!

"Ah, of course. I forgot that you are unfamiliar with these terms." Richards smirked ever-so-slightly. "Your world is not the only one that exists. The galaxy is filled with hundreds of them, and each one has its own unique form of life. The mass relays are the means to travel to each system. The human race has recently joined with the Council, which is a group of leaders, each from one of the major races, that decides the laws and such in Council space." Richards raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you understand?"

"Uh..." Artemis narrowed her eyes. All this information was sending her head spinning. "Yes?"

"Good." Richards folded his arms across his chest. "Now, tell me about where you come from."

Artemis stared up at him suspiciously. "Why?"

"I'm a scientist," Richards replied. "I have a natural curiosity when it comes to undiscovered things." His face remained blank, but there was a gleam in his eye that she didn't like. It was as though the knowledge of her world would make him a king or something... That clicked. He must want to conquer Thedas! That was the only explanation she could think of. Artemis clenched her fists. She was a lot of things, but she was not a traitor.

"I'm not telling you a single thing," she huffed, sticking her nose in the air like she'd seen so many noble women do.

"If you tell me, you'll be well-compensated," Richards suggested, leaning forward slightly.

Artemis snorted. "You'll have to do better than that. Do you really think money or treasures are worth betraying my entire world?"

"Please don't make this difficult, Ms. Hawke." Richards narrowed his eyes. "This knowledge is very important to Cerberus development."

_Cerberus? What the hell is that? Ah, who cares. I knew he was working for someone!_ "And what happens if I refuse to tell you?" she challenged.

"I will use force if necessary," he replied nonchalantly. He seemed unaffected by such an idea...that made Artemis wonder how many people he's tortured in the past.

"Do it," Artemis said with a smirk. "I _dare_ you."

The scientist sighed with disappointment. "I was hoping to avoid this..." He reached into one of the pockets on his coat, pulling out some kind of metal stick.

Artemis gave him an "are-you-kidding-me" look. "What are you going to do, _poke_ me to death?" she scoffed.

The expression on Richards' face changed for the first time since Artemis saw him, morphing from blank to a dark smirk. He pressed a little button on the stick, and suddenly, a crackling sound filled the air. Electricity flickered between the two little rods that were in place on top of the stick. "Just one 'poke' from this taser is enough to fry most of your body's systems. I would cooperate if I were you." Artemis simply smiled. "Very well..." Richards stepped closer to the chair she was strapped to, holding the rod towards her.

She sighed. "Wow, you really aren't very smart, are you?" He simply scowled at her, obviously not understanding what she was getting at. She took a deep breath. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to play this card, but..." She stared him dead in the eye. "I'm a mage."

Richards blinked, staying silent for a moment, before chuckling. "Magic? I'm a scientist, Ms. Hawke. I don't believe in such things."

_Do they not have magic here? _Artemis wondered. _Well, that means there won't be Templars to worry about._ "Alright, don't believe me." She shrugged. "I still refuse to tell you anything, though."

"You'll regret that." He continued to reach out, slowly, and when he got close enough, Artemis shot a quick bolt of lightning up his arm, making him screech and drop the taser. "You little bitch!" he yelled, giving her a wide-eyed glare.

"I did try to warn you," Artemis said sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes at him. Then, her hands burst into flames, burning the fabric straps that bound her wrists to the chair. After that, she undid the straps around her torso and ankles, standing up and stretching her stiff muscles. "Ah, much better!" She smiled at Richards. "Now, if you'll kindly tell me where you stashed my armor and weapon, I'll be on my way."

"So you can wreak havoc on this station? I think not," he spat, taking a step back as she took a step towards him.

Artemis blinked. "Please don't make this difficult, Mr. Richards," she mocked. "If you don't stand in my way, then no one will be harmed. All I want is to find my armor and staff, then head back to my world."

"Not possible." Artemis narrowed her eyes as he continued. "The relay that brought you here has returned into dormancy. For some reason, it won't respond when someone tries to pass through it."

"Balls," she muttered. "Does that mean I broke it...? Oh well. I still need to get out of here. And I'll need your cooperation." She advanced towards him, backing him into a wall. "Unless I need to...convince you?" She smiled sweetly, her hand bursting into flames once again.

"Alright!" he cried. "I'll cooperate! Just...for God's sake, put those flames away!" Artemis's smile widened, and the fire surrounding hand died down, but didn't go out completely. "Your armor and...staff...are in the storage room."

"And where's the nearest exit?"

"If you try to leave this station as you are, you'll die." The scientist rolled his eyes, as though it were obvious. "There is no air in space. If you just step off the station, you'll only float endlessly until your head explodes."

_Ew_. Artemis shuddered. "Then how do I get out of here?"

"There's a ship docked at the station right now, dropping off cargo. It will be leaving for the Citadel shortly."

She didn't bother asking what the Citadel was. "Thank you, Dr. Richards. Now, I'm afraid there's one more thing I need you to do for me..."

Richards grimaced. "You want me to help you off the station." It wasn't a question.

"Precisely!" The flames around her hand went out as she felt her mana begin to deplete. "And I'll have to ask that you refrain from letting any of your colleagues in on my little plan."

"Son of a bitch," he muttered to himself, walking over and pressing the green panel on the door to open it. "Right this way, Miss Hawke," he said with sarcastic politeness, sweeping his hand to the side in an "after you" gesture.

"And they say chivalry is dead." Artemis smirked at him as she walked by. For some reason, this idiotic old man made her feel like being a violent bitch. Which she wasn't, normally. She was feeling very confident in her plan...so much so, that she didn't even notice Richards quickly kneel down and scoop up his taser...

"The storage room is just down this hall..." He spoke slowly, with a devious undertone...in retrospect, that should have been the first thing to tip her off. However, Hawke didn't realize that something was up until she heard a now-familiar crackling sound. She whirled around, eyes widening as she caught him behind her, arm raised, taser in hand, poised to stab her in the back with it. She didn't think she would have enough reaction time to counteract his sneak-attack, when suddenly, a hand popped up from behind him and chopped him in the neck. It hit a pressure point, and the older man crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

Artemis stared at the younger man that now stood before her, blinking rapidly. He was a bit shorter than Richards was, with shaggy, jet-black hair and warm brown eyes. He wore a long white coat as well, but this man's face actually held emotion.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," he said, taking a deep breath. He looked as though he had just got done running.

She tilted her head. "Thank you for that, by the way...but who are you?"

He held his hand out to her. "Antonio Benevidez...but everybody just calls me Tony."

She shook his hand slowly. "Artemis Hawke...but everybody just calls me Hawke." Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Not that I'm complaining, but...why did you help me?"

"I was watching Dr. Richards's interrogation of you up in the security room." Tony frowned. "I can tell that he plans to use your world to benefit himself somehow. I've seen Cerberus do some questionable things before...but I couldn't just sit by and let him do something like that."

"Much appreciated." Artemis smiled sheepishly. "But, he was kinda my guide out of this place."

"Oh, I can help you. I know this place just as well as he does." Tony gave her a warm smile. She wasn't sure if she could trust him...but he was her only way off this station.

"Alright, then. Lead the way." He nodded, then proceeded to walk down the hall at a brisk, yet discreet pace.

"You'll have to sneak onto the ship," Tony said. "If I know Cerberus-and I'm quite sure I do-they'd kill you if they found out they couldn't control you. I'm the only one who was watching your interrogation, but it's only a matter of time before someone finds Richards and pieces everything together, or he wakes up and goes on a rampage." As he said that, he picked up his pace, walking faster until he reached a door a few minutes later. "Here's the storage room. Let's grab your gear and blow this popsicle stand."

Artemis have him a strange look before sauntering I to the storage room. _What in Andraste's name is a popsicle stand?_ She shook her head, focusing her attention on the task ahead of her. "If I were Champion's Armor and a mage's staff, where would I be...?" she hummed to herself. She rounded a corner of stacked boxes, gasping excitedly when she found what she was looking for. "Found it!" she called to Tony. He responded by shushing her. "Oh, sorry," she said sheepishly. "I'm gonna change now, so you stand guard, and I'll come out when I'm ready." He didn't reply, so she took that as a yes and started slipping into the metal plates and fur and gauntlets and such. When she was all finished, she flexed her joints, smiling with satisfaction and gripping her staff tightly. "Alright, Tony, let's...uh, blow this popsicle stand."

Tony grinned at her use of his words. "Okay, good..." He blinked when she walked in front of him. "...Wow. That armor looks amazing on you!"

Artemis felt her cheeks get warmer. "I get that a lot," she said, smiling widely to show that she was only joking.

Tony laughed. "I'm sure." He shook his head. "Okay, now let's get you to-"

"_Red alert! The specimen from the unknown relay has escaped! All units, look for Artemis Hawke! Don't let her board the_ Latvia!"

"Shit!" Tony's eyes widened. "No time to play around now!" He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her out of the storage room, running down the hall with her in tow.

"What was that?" Artemis looked around wildly as she was being dragged. "Where did his voice come from?"

"There's no time to explain, I have to get you on that ship!" Tony's face was dead-serious now. Hawke's mouth formed a hard line. The next few moments would determine her fate, and the fate of Thedas...she could play around and be curious later.

Tony and Artemis ran through the halls for a few minutes, twisting and turning around corners, until they came upon a set of double doors, guarded by two men with strange objects in their hands. "Damn it," Tony hissed. "I didn't anticipate this..."

"Stand back, Tony." Artemis smirked, pushing him back and stepping forward. "Let me show you how a Champion from Thedas handles things." Bending her knees, she drew back her right hand and gathered some mana, before thrusting it forward, the mana shooting out in the form of a Stone Fist. It slammed into the first guard, instantly snapping his spine from the impact, and she shot a spike of ice at the second before he could react, stabbing him through the neck and making him fall to the ground, drowning in his own blood.

"Oh my God," Tony breathed, eyes wide in a mixture of awe and horror. _I'll bet he's never seen anybody die before,_ Artemis mused. _Well, he was bound to see it sooner or later. Poor sod_. Then, he blinked rapidly, snapping out of it and running up to the doors. He looked a little green when he stepped past the bodies of the guards, but was otherwise undeterred, and hurried her into the room.

Inside, there were stacks of boxes, much like in the storage room, except they were much bigger. Most of them were sealed, but some of them were lying open. Tony led her over to the biggest empty one he could find...and gestured for her to get inside.

"You're kidding," Artemis deadpanned.

He shook his head. "It's the only way to sneak you into the ship. I'm sorry, but at least you won't be _too_ cramped."

"What about you?" Hawke wondered.

He have her a sad smile. "I won't be able to come with you...it's regretful, but I can't sneak _myself_ on the ship as well."

"But they'll kill you!" Artemis exclaimed, eyes widening.

Tony shrugged. "I'm not afraid of death." He smiled again. "Besides, I'd rather die doing something honorable than live the rest of my life making others miserable." He gently pushed her into the box, lifting the lid to close it.

"Tony?" He stopped for a moment when Artemis looked up at him with sad eyes, on the verge of tears. "Thank you. For saving me, for...everything. I'll never forget you."

Tony looked back at her with the happiest expression she's ever seen on him. "You're welcome, Artemis. Try to stay out of trouble on the Citadel, okay? You'll do just fine." She nodded, and he closed the lid, grabbing a nearby tool and bolting it shut.

Moments later, she heard his footsteps moving frantically away, and another man approached her box, lifting it into the air. "Damn, this box is _heavy_! What'd those scientists put in this thing?!" he huffed, making her eye twitch. _Is he saying I'm fat?_

Then, her demeanor became serious once more, and she tightened her grip on her staff, thankful for the amount of space the box provided. What was to become of her now? Once she reached this "Citadel" place, where would she go from there? She didn't know how this crazy place worked...there was so much she didn't understand.

How would she survive?


End file.
